Who might be LSU's next football coach? A few names to consider ...

Coaching searches are unpredictable processes in which schools often don’t land their first, second or even third choice.

That said, there are some basic tenets that are likely to guide LSU’s search to replace Les Miles after his firing Sunday, according to The Advocate:

1. The right kind of experience

LSU athletic director Joe Alleva is all but certain to want to hire someone who is a head coach or has been one at some point. Luring a sitting head coach to LSU would add cache to the program after making what will be viewed as a controversial firing.

It would follow a longstanding precedent when making such hires. LSU’s past four coaches were sitting head coaches from other programs: Miles (Oklahoma State), Nick Saban (Michigan State), Gerry DiNardo (Vanderbilt) and Curley Hallman (Southern Miss). You have to go back nearly 30 years — to 1987, when LSU elevated defensive coordinator Mike Archer to replace the departing Bill Arnsparger — that LSU didn’t go the head coach route.

It takes someone who has been a head coach, Alleva is likely to reason, to understand what it takes to run a big, high-pressure program like LSU's. It’s not a guarantee, but if LSU’s next coach doesn’t have head coaching experience on his résumé, it’s because the school had to slide far down its wish list.

2. Money is no object

At least it better not be. LSU will owe Miles somewhere north of $8 million to satisfy his buyout — it could be $12.9 million, but this year’s salary is likely to count for part of that figure — and millions more for any assistants the new coach chooses not to retain.

Then there’s the buyout that the next coach is likely to have. Jimbo Fisher, LSU’s top target last season, reportedly would owe $5 million to Florida State if he leaves before December 2016. Bobby Petrino, who was LSU’s second choice when it hired Miles in 2005, would owe Louisville $10 million.

Then there’s the matter of salary. Fisher makes $5.15 million, Petrino $4.35 million (same as Miles) and Hugh Freeze at Ole Miss makes even more at $4.7 million per year. Staggering sums, but LSU would not be making this move without having the money to pay off Miles and the outgoing staff and pay the new coach handsomely. It’s not unthinkable that LSU’s next coach will start off at more than $5 million per year.

And think that, when LSU hired Saban in 1999, it paid him a then-unheard of $1.2 million. Outgoing offensive coordinator Cam Cameron was contracted to make that much this season.

3. Making the move

There’s a big question as to whether Fisher, the former LSU offensive coordinator who still has a warm spot in his heart for Baton Rouge, would take LSU’s call after his name was dragged into the debacle to fire/not fire Miles last year.

Petrino has plenty of baggage from his Arkansas days, though for a coach who just smoked Fisher’s Seminoles 63-20 two weeks ago, past transgressions would likely be forgiven. Just don't expect that his courtesy car would be a motorcycle.

The top target is likely to be Herman, but that hardly makes LSU unique. Auburn’s Gus Malzahn, even after beating LSU on Saturday to send Miles packing, is still on the hot seat at 2-2 himself. So is Texas coach Charlie Strong. And now there is growing talk that Southern California coach Clay Helton is in deep trouble after a 1-3 start to his first (only?) season.

Herman is making $3 million a year at Houston and stands to pocket a $5 million bonus if UH is invited to join the Big 12, which appears likely. He’d also probably pick up a nice raise. But the Cougars play in a 40,000-seat stadium. The gulf between the big-time nature of LSU and Houston remains considerable and could be appealing to Herman. (Side note: He played at tiny Cal Lutheran, of all places, with LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda.)

Art Briles, the disgraced Baylor coach who was mighty good at scoring points and gaining yards, could gain some traction. But he would be a tough sell to LSU’s administration considering Briles admitted he made mistakes in the handling of sexual assault allegations against some of his players.

This story was originally published September 26, 2016 at 10:21 AM with the headline "Who might be LSU's next football coach? A few names to consider ...."